


I Do... Don’t I?

by RichmanSFW



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Banter, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Marriage Proposal, Post-Canon, Romance, Royai Week, Shh, Teasing, it’s canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 23:00:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28643349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RichmanSFW/pseuds/RichmanSFW
Summary: Roy was often a foolish man. Riza knew this. But he always found a way.
Relationships: Riza Hawkeye/Roy Mustang
Kudos: 30





	I Do... Don’t I?

He woke softly, the small jolt of a fleeting nightmare having slowly begun to fade from his mind. What was harsh became distant as he felt the familiarity of her warmth upon him. He breathed a cooling, comforted sigh at that. The safety, the comfort. They lay in bed, morning having come. The first glimpses of sunlight which filtered through the windows curtain ensured he would be unable to sleep again. Not now, not after that. He never found it entirely.. pleasant, the sunlight, though the growing illumination worked itself over their bed to his benefit, as it cast her in a golden sort of glow. 

Riza was slumbering still, her body half laying upon his own; his arm around her as she breathed, slowly but deep. He minded little, savoring the visage that was the soft glow now enveloping more of her face and body. 

He wore a faint, tired smile. His mind beginning to race, to wander.

Before, when the Truth had briefly taken his sight from him, it proved to be.. a loss Mustang could have made peace with, in the end. An acceptable casualty in the wake of what he’d done, tempered solely by the ambition of what he wished to do. He found the irony palpable, poetic. Another fork in his path, a wrench in the plan - one he could have worked with, refusing to let it put an end to his goals. 

And, though a stone was gifted to him as he recovered, Roy accepted it for a singular reason.

The thought of never being able to see Riza’s face again was.. something he would not bear. He refused. Then and there, dwelling in his mind as they had recovered in the aftermath of that perilous time a lingering wish clung to the more personal, more selfish part of his mind. Same as it dwelled within his mind now.

He was going to marry her, somehow, and he wished to _see_ her when it happened. Circumstance be damned. He looked upon her again, as the morning continued to usher itself across the fleeting dark of the night sky. He threaded several fingers softly through a touch of her hair, as she murmured something amid her slumber.

Hawkeye was a.. great many things. Reserved, disciplined, an expert marksman. The best of the best. The perfect soldier. She had kind eyes, and though they withheld a determined fury such as his own, hers were much, much prettier. Most agreed with that assertion, at least. He found it an acceptable loss.

She never made an outright show of emotion. Not often. Such articulation was something she.. preferred to convey through smaller shows of affection. A suggestion here, an adjusted collar there. At work, it was the most he could expect from her. Even life at home often warranted smaller, simpler gestures. He wished for more, but, though it took him some time to acclimate, he understood. He always had, despite his sillier shortcomings. The comfort there, the mutual understanding that was fostered between the two as time went on was..

Well.

It brought a smile to his lips, the thought of her usually did. They would continue to lay there for some time, not quite ready for the day ahead. Not yet. He was content with that; savoring the sliver of peace the moment had granted. 

Still, his thoughts continued, with reality settling in.

Much to his chagrin, military regulation would work against him. To fraternize between soldiers was a sin none dare commit, not openly at any rate. He knew the risks—so had she—safely ensuring that neither party would formally acknowledge their coupling as an “official” one, but Mustang took umbrage with the restriction. 

They would never marry, not truly. And children were not a possibility.. at least as they were. All the two had was each other, and that was enough. No marriage, no children. But, despite himself, Roy desired some physical show of it. Riza deserved something _nice._ She deserved the world. With life as a soldier being something neither wished to relinquish—their careers and ambitions and need to serve being factors they’d prefer to keep, he knew that could not be taken away. It was their life, the one they shared—the duty they bore happily for the good of all. They loved each other enough to not forego that call of service.

But Roy.. was a man who always found a way. Even if it were a stupid one, something she often called out. When he saw a path forward, he took it. 

Riza was worth that much. She was worth more than she gave herself credit for. 

—

He came to find that life as a General fared only somewhat differently in comparison to before, simply doubling the meandering load of work he sifted through when he wasn’t giving a speech or training further underlings. It helped that his pay received a bump, for what it was worth. Perks of the chain of command. Even though his desire was to become the Fuhrer still.. it could wait. It would have to. What mattered was a particular ring he had in mind...

It was perfect. He hoped.

What couldn’t wait was the clear fact that he was beginning to act funny, ever since purchasing it. Riza knew, she witnessed the act clear as day. Roy was never as clever as he assumed he was—with her, usually, seeing right through his facade, his intentions. To his everlasting dismay.

But, one day, he had finally confronted her. Leering over her as the two stood amidst a vacant hall, free from prying eyes, her back pressed against the wall as she looked into his eyes, his presence bringing her to a small shiver. The earnest look she saw was something she liked, yet still.. suspicious of.

In spite of their differences in size, the way she carried herself made him feel matched. Her voice remained soft, but firm. A hint of curiosity coating every word. “...sir, what are you...?”

The small glint could be seen out of the corner of her eye. It was coming, she knew it. A cold chill raked itself across her spine as her cheeks burned. 

Firmly, quickly, he brandished the ring. She almost missed the bead of sweat from his brow as her eyes were caught by the jewelry. Presented to her in that way, her eyes glossed over the design of it - a thin, mostly sliver band dotted with a weave of carvings into the material, pits of carbon in every one. Atop the ring had lain two of the tiniest gemstones - one of emerald, the other rose quartz - caught in the loops of an infinite symbol which adorned the shell. The shade of crimson upon her cheeks deepened at that, red hot as the reality settled in. 

“Ro-“ She blurted, almost breaking character after so long. Her eyes were glossy, yet fraught with a hint of irritation. Her brows sharpened. “...how much.”

Quelling the wealth of anxiety inside him, he remained steadfast. “Don’t worry about it.”

_“Roy.”_

The sound of his name came softly yet firm. Rarely was it used, only under the most specific of circumstances. He couldn’t help but begin to wear a small smile at the corners of his lips. The colored gems didn’t go together, a part of him knew that. A part of him some might find the thing downright ugly. He’d done so without much thought. Or, perhaps, _too_ much. “I didn’t exactly know what you might have liked, and.. a-asking.. so openly might have- well.. I figured I could do better than a diamon-“

“...sir,” she cut him off, “..you didn’t-“ Riza cleared her throat, holding the files close to her chest. The blonde having done so more for her own composure than out of tact. “You.. didn’t have to do that.”

Roy smiled, to her dismay. That awful, horrid, smug sort of smile she always wished to punch clean off of his stupid face. His voice remained a comforting murmur, still earnest despite the remaining smugness in the grin upon his lips. “You’re right,” he said. “I didn’t.” 

She hated him. In the best possible ways. 

He gingerly offered the ring once more.

Her eyes glossed over its glow, remaining there as she dwelled deeply in the confines of her mind. Thinking, pondering. In spite of the faint blush of crimson which remained upon her cheeks still, she wore a neutral sort of look. The norm.

“I’ll take it,” she finally said, her eyes meeting his in a professional manner. “On one condition.”

He arched a more than curious brow. 

That was when she leaned close, tapping her index finger against his lips - and the thinly curated facial hair just above it. “I’ll take it, if you promise to shave.”

He looked faintly shocked. “Wh-“

She narrowed her eyes into a squint.

It took something much stronger than what Mustang had long since been capable of to refuse, to deny or possibly cajole. With a sigh, he relented. “...fine.”

She took it, happily and with ample care, between her thumb and index finger. Riza looked at it with a kind of glumness. Something in her eyes holding the emotion back.

He felt it. “We can’t.. I- I know we can’t, and that’s okay. You’ll call me foolish for buying it anyway.. but it was worth it.” His words brought her attention back to him, their eyes meeting again. The smugness he once wore had faded into something a touch more somberly. “You’re worth it.”

Any rebuttal she might have formed was snuffed as he shushed her, lightly; an act she would only allow so much of before biting back. “It’s yours now, that’s what matters most. You deserved something nice.” He leaned back, feigning an act of professionalism. “You know.. for being such a fine First Lieutenant and all.. as well as my personal bodyguard. Might get a promotion? Who knows..”

She held the ring close, slipping it into a protected pouch for safety. For later. The look on her face seemed fraught with a mischievous squint. “Oh, of course.. thank you, sir.”

As others had started to walk by, strolling to and fro with their respective minds elsewhere, the couple retained their composure. “Now, now.. you don’t have to go saluting me or anything, but-“

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek when the coast was clear, leaving him with a whisper. “No chance.”

As the General watched his lover leave, he did so with a renewed sense of satisfaction. He so enjoyed the art of giving gifts, but hers was one he could savor for years to come. Even if it simply were the thought that counted, despite it all. Nothing would change, but that was something he did make peace with. He loved her, and she him. A physical token of that was more than worthwhile, in his eyes. 

A simple gesture.

If only Hughes could see him now.

And.. like that, in the days that followed the couple hardly spoke of it. Even at home, it had not broached the topic of conversation. He wanted to ask, to pry — to see if she really did like it, if he could have done better. The worry of it all had, slowly, begun to pick away at his mind. Each night before bed, a lingering fear crossed his thoughts as they embraced. Whether he was the big spoon, little spoon, or nearly pushed off the bed so she was allowed a grander space than him. He was worried. He harbored not a single regret, but the concern remained. A soft whisper which derailed his peace of mind. Riza seemed the same as ever. Loving but stern, composed, a tease. 

He could only hope that it was kept in a safe place. 

It.. _was_ a lot of money.

—

One morning, as another report had graced his desk, the glumness on his face refused to recede. Sordid, menial work to sort—the kind a country would sift through in as mundane a way as possible. The downside of bureaucracy, one of many. Twiddled thumbs and sullen stares. His gloved fingers briefly ran over the soft stubble of where his mustache once resided. He rather liked the look, his pride only a touch wounded at giving into her request so easily.

A habit she often took advantage of.

Amidst the mundanity of it all, Riza had entered his office to his surprise, to present yet another important document. To file away, to sign off on.. he knew not, but as her hand slid the parchment towards him the General noticed something. A curious detail. 

Upon her bare hand lay the ring, where it belonged. His eyes glossed over her ring finger with a look of surprise. A subdued, collected sort but surprise none the less. 

She removed her hand, moving to turn on heel after giving a solemn nod. A busy day had called, and there was much to do, but-

“One moment, Lieutenant.”

She turned back. “Sir?”

His fingers were briefly touched, tented as a curious smile came upon him. The look in his eyes had said it all, but he felt compelled to speak anyway. “...that’s a nice ring you’ve got there.”

Riza did not respond, not immediately. With allotted time, she began her stroll over, rounding the General’s desk to grace him. “Why, yes..” She flexed her hand, her fingers fluttering to and fro so as to give a better show. “Lovely, isn’t it? I’ve gotten some compliments already, but.. I simply wanted to treat myself, I deserved something nice. It looks good on me.”

He chuckled. 

When she neared, almost leering over him as his chair spun to meet her, he felt a familiar chill work itself up his spine. Her face was close to his own, a satisfied look upon her features. “...I was worried,” Roy said, beginning to come undone, “...b-but, it’s okay, really. I just-“

She arched a more than curious brow.

His eyes found where her hand lingered, the ring affixed to it, before returning to match her gaze with his own. “...you didn’t have to do that.”

She cupped his chin with a firm grip, then, and pulled him into an intense, heated kiss. His cheeks burned red with a blush of his own, the iron hot as they briefly traded tongues. When she finally parted from him he felt as though he had been knocked on his ass, taken by a wealth of passion in such little time. A small, smug look was plastered over her features, her words rife with a loving, familiar snark. “You’re right,” she said. “I didn’t.”

She left him swiftly, turning on heel to march out and disappear into an otherwise hectic, demanding day. He watched with intent, the air finally returning to his lungs. No formal marriage, no children. Just them; their career and their love. Mutual. With a nice ring to further compliment her beauty. 

As she left.. the thoughts spiraled until reaching a single, loving point. 

He could make peace with that, in the end.

He couldn’t help but a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Follow [@RichmanSFW](https://twitter.com/RichmanSFW) to keep up with my stories, my commission info, and my insanity.


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